


Gauntlets and a Tophat

by WeirdKids



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 15:43:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7647040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeirdKids/pseuds/WeirdKids
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caitlyn decides to pursue and recruit Vi. What will it mean for Piltover and for them both if Vi agrees?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Fate's Hands

Caitlyn hated paperwork. Sometimes she wished she never was the Sheriff; purely because of the paperwork. The only thing keeping her from tearing her hair out was the cup of coffee, calmly steaming, sitting on her desk. She supposed this was a sure fire way to keep her noble. No matter how much crime she shut down in Piltover, there would always be a stack of paperwork on her desk.

After powering through the last sheet of paper, she glanced at the clock. It read 8:12 A.M. She had only wasted two hours today. She gently set down her black ink pen, and began massaging her sore hands. With a stretch of her neck and a crack of her knuckles she rose from her seat. Looking around her office she grabbed a case file that had been piquing her interest for months. She opened up the manilla folder for the criminal known as "Vi". Caitlyn often found herself engrossed in the vigilante's files. For months she had been trying to catch her with no avail. After weeks of deliberation, The Piltover Sheriff finally decided to go through with a plan she had been holding onto for a while. After looking through the contents of the folder one last time, she shut it and reached for her now trademark hat. She placed her hat on her head, clutched the folder to her chest, and walked out her office door.

"We've got our work cut out for us today, officers. This is no ordinary criminal we are pursuing and nor should we treat her as such." Caitlyn spoke with authority and intelligence.

She turned on the projector. The large white screen began to display a picture of woman with oddly colored hair, and with what some would call an edgy hair cut. She appeared to be sporting some hextech goggles on her head. Her left side of her face contained interesting features. Her left brow appeared to have been shaven slightly, and underneath her eye was a tattoo that read "VI". The left side of her neck was marked with a gear tattoo as well.

A young officer raised his hand. "What all do we know about her?"

"Orphan at a very young age, and gang member shortly there after. From what I've read, she specialized in robbing hextech hardware; consequently she became quite the technician. As you can see from her gauntlets. We don't know much about why she decided to quit the gang life, but all we know is she chases the very same criminals she used to be."

Detective Hardwell chimed in. He was a gruff man who had a bit of a soft side. He took Caitlyn under his wing when she first joined the force, and he became something of a father figure to her. He was seasoned cop and he definitely looked it. Standing at six foot seven he crossed his arms. "With all due respect Sheriff, why the hell are we going after her again? You know that she is nothing but trouble! She's taken out ten of our guys and has caused tons of collateral damage. How do you know we can even catch her?"

Caitlyn expected this...especially from Hardwell. She definitely understood his doubts, but all she wants is to make him proud. "Well, we are going to make her an alluring offer."

Hardwell scoffed. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

With a smirk and bow of her head she said, "Either she can join the force or go to prison. We also have some... bait set aside."

Everyone at the table looked skeptical. "Cait, are you fucking insane?" Hardwell screamed.

"Think about it, Hardwell. She tears through criminal activities like scissors through paper. While I can't deny her methods are...harsh, you must see how valuable of an asset she could be to the force."

He stayed silent but hesitantly nodded.

"Yes, she is rough around the edges but that's not unlike someone I know." Caitlyn says nodding towards Steve Hardwell. "Vi decided to stop being a criminal for a reason. Say all you want about her brash behavior, but I like to give people opportunities. I think she will even know that I'm giving her one hell of one right here."

"Alright, alright. I'll trust you, Top Hat. What's the plan?" Hardwell mumbled out.

Vi was doing some monthly maintenance on her gauntlets when she picked up some noise on her scanner. Wiping grease and sweat off her forehead, she listened in.

"We've got a 211 down at 4th and 5th."

She didn't need to hear anything else from the static voice.

"Looks like I'll have to cut this cleaning short. Time to give these punks a taste of my punch."

Within five minutes she had her gauntlets on and was on her way to the scene of the crime.

"She's on her way." A voice sounded out in Caitlyn's ear piece.

"Acknowledged." She swiftly said.

Caitlyn wasn't dressed in her usual work clothes. Tonight she donned a sweeping trench coat and of course her hat; she felt naked without. Her prized sniper rifle was in a well hidden holster on her back. Nobody could make out the shape of the gun due to the looseness of the coat.

It was almost insulting to Vi how simple Caitlyn's plan was. All she had was hextech tools and was making it out to be that she was attempting to crack open an ATM with them. She figured if she couldn't come to Vi, then she would make Vi come to her. She had her own doubt about her plans, but she knew enough about that Vi to know that the vigilante would be itching to put somebody in their place.

The Sheriff smirked when she heard the screeching tires and a roaring motorcycle engine behind her.

"Well, well. What do we have here? You running a little low on cash?" Vi was smiling ear to ear. She knew she had her prey and they were caught. The wind was gently blowing her pink hair. Gauntlets were lit up and steam was escaping from them.

Still grinning, Caitlyn pulled down her hat to cast a darkness over her face. With a swoosh of her trench coat she turned around.

"You are one hard woman to reach, Vi."

Scrunching her eyebrows with confusion. Vi focused hard on the figure. "What the fuck are you talking about? Who the hell are you?"

Caitlyn stood in place and let out a low chuckle, "I'm somebody who is about to make you an offer."

Realization hit Vi as hard as she hit with her gauntlets. "Wait. Annoying accent and a hat too big for your head. You must be The Sheriff Of Piltover!"

"Smart girl."

"What do you mean, "make me an offer." I'm pretty sure you and your squad want me in jail right now. If that's the case then you are dreaming. You can't handle me. Besides you don't have your big ass sniper."

With a smart ass grin the Sheriff pulled out her "big ass sniper".

"Think again." She then trained it on Vi.

Both women took the moment to size up the other. Vi definitely had heard of the wit and cunning of the Sheriff, not to mention to her almost flawless shot. With Caitlyn just standing there with that trench coat blowing, her hat slightly hiding her face, sniper in hand, Vi had to admit that Caitlyn looked a shocking combination of sexy and bad ass. She lied about her accent being annoying too. She thought it was pretty hot. Not that she would ever admit any of those things. Perhaps the most embarrassing thought of all is how she knew the Sheriff had her cornered.

Caitlyn almost lost her cool composure when she felt a sudden ripple of attraction to the girl standing before her. Gazing upon Vi, she saw that she was most definitely built. She found herself admiring diamond blue eyes in front of her. "Focus, Caitlyn. Clearly you've been stuffed up in your office too long." She thought.

The most obvious thing to point out was an air of mutual respect. Both women knew what the other was capable of.

Raising her over-sized hands in a jesting manner, Vi spoke with a slight amused tone to her voice. "Alright Sheriff, you've got me! I'm sure you've got tons of blues crowding this whole block. Make me your offer."

"My offer? It's quite simple. Join the force as my Enforcer or go to prison."

Vi couldn't believe what she just heard. "Okaaaaaaaay. What's the catch? If you aren't lying that is, which you totally are."

Caitlyn lowered her sniper and took cautious steps towards the vigilante.

"I assure you, I'm totally not lying. There is no catch. I do not have time to make up silly stories. I've seen what you can do, and what your intentions are. Despite your means being a little...overboard, it appears we both have the same common goal. It would be a waste to throw you in prison. I've got a lot to gain from this and so do you. You'd be one of us and that means you won't have to run from us anymore. All I would ask is that you be less destructive of public property. So I'll give you a moment to think this over."

Vi had never been so dumbfounded in her life. Why would the Sheriff make her this offer? Was it a trick? What would life be like on the force? Is that something she wanted? Something about the way the other woman spoke seemed to calm her nerves a little. She knew that the Sheriff was an honorable woman, and wouldn't resort to petty tricks like that. Vi wanted to trust her, but she didn't trust easy. With good reason. She glanced around at her surroundings. She could see blues everywhere. She had no chance in hell of getting away. Despite a small voice in her head screaming for her to run, another voice was screaming for her to accept Caitlyn's offer. Vi decided to listen to the latter. She loved busting criminals but was tired of running away like one. In fact, she was tired of feeling like a criminal in general. This would give her a chance to clean up with streets without feeling like part of the problem.

Caitlyn looked on with interest as the pink haired woman began taking off her right gauntlet. When her bare, but strong hand, was showing, Vi looked up and walked slowly towards the Sheriff.

Extending her right hand, smiling, she said, "You've got a deal, Sheriff. When do I start?"

The Sheriff took the other woman's hand and shook it.

Feeling a sense of accomplishment and relief, Caitlyn spoke confidently. "Tomorrow at noon. Here take my card. It has the address of our station. Once you arrive, find your way to my office."

Vi could only just nod and take the card. All of this still felt surreal. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about all of it. It would be something new and that excited Vi. It didn't hurt she would get to work along side Caitlyn. You know. For professional reasons, of course.

"I'm glad we could work out a deal. Oh, your gauntlets are quite impressive by the way."

Vi looked away quickly so that Caitlyn couldn't see her stupid smile.

With her back turned to the Sheriff, she jumped on her motorcycle. "Thanks. See ya tomorrow."

She put the keys in, turned over the ignition, and sped away. Hoping like hell she wouldn't make a bigger fool of herself.

Caitlyn stared at the tire tracks on the ground and was smirking to herself.

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Looks like you got her, eh?" Steve Hardwell was gripping her shoulder and smiling.

"It appears I did."

"I'm proud of you, kid. It took guts."

"Thank you, Steve. I only hope she doesn't cause too much trouble."

He only shrugged. "I've got a good feeling about that kid."

Caitlyn looked up with a raised eyebrow. "I thought she was nothing but trouble?"

"That's what I thought before I saw how she responded to you."

The young sheriff looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"So smart but so blind." He chuckled and just walked away. She just wrote if off as another weird Hardwell tendency.

Caitlyn was looking forward to the challenge of Vi and what else she could do for the force. A part of her wondered what Vi meant for her.

Then she remembered she would have to fill out paperwork about what just took place. She sighed and began her trip back to her office.


	2. Let It Land

The old alarm clock was blaring and Vi slammed her hand upon it. She groaned.

"Fuck me. It's way too early." Vi sluggishly thought.

After hesitating to move, she began her slow crawl out of bed. Placing her feet on the creaking floor she made her way to the bathroom. Glancing in the mirror, she thought about how bad she wanted to go back to bed.

"No. They expect me to be late. They expect me to be a no show loser. I won't give them that." Vi said with conviction to her reflection.

She started her shower up. This time the water was actually hot and there wasn't any rust. Maybe things were looking up. She took off her white tank top and shorts, then she stepped into the stream of water. She sighed contently and reveled in the feeling of the warm water rolling down her skin.

Vi couldn't lie to herself; she was unbelievably nervous about today. For one, she was still considering the possibility that this could be an elaborate trap. What if she shows up to the station and they just slap cuffs on her wrists? She shook her head and attempted to calm her nerves. She knew better than to the fall down the rabbit hole of negative thinking. No. For some reason she trusted the Sheriff, and she didn't think that Caitlyn would allow this to happen. Besides Caitlyn trusted Vi enough not to run, so maybe she should repay her with that same show of faith.

Even with ruling out the whole meeting being a trap, Vi couldn't deny what it would mean if she accepted. Her life as she knew it would change. Probably for the better but Vi wasn't sure if she was ready to let go of her independence. After leaving her gang, Vi spent a lot of time in the street alone. She had no one else to depend on and nobody else depended on her. She always knew that she could trust herself. When she made rash decisions the only person it affected was her, and well whoever she was punching the lights out of. As soon as finalized her decision that all would change. She'd have to trust someone enough to watch her back, and she would have to watch someone else's back.

The feeling of shampoo in her eye knocked her out of her thoughts. She just winced and sighed at her misfortune.

20 minutes later she was out the door. In no time she was at the door of the station. Vi's heart began to race and she willed herself to calm down. Lifting a bruised hand to the door handle, she turned it and pushed it open. Immediately a rush of feelings ran through her. It felt...awkward. Part of her wanted to shrink away, and another part wanted to run out the door. She wasn't going to show it though. The pink haired woman had spent way too much of her life constructing herself into the strong person she wanted to be. She had survived because she was tough and resourceful; never by showing weakness. Now was not the time to become vulnerable and passive.

Taking a deep breath, she took steps into the first room of the Piltover Police station.

"Hey, Rock Star! Over here!"

Vi's head snapped to the direction of the person shouting. She noticed a tall, older looking detective.

Noticing he had her attention, he took this chance to walk over to her. He smiled and put out his hand for her to shake.

"Detective Hardwell. I was instructed to escort you to the Sheriff's office."

Vi strongly shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, sir. Take me to your leader. I want to see if she's stuffing her face with donuts."

The man let out a lively chuckle and shook his head. "I'm sorry to disappoint you kid, but Cait is busy giving herself the shakes with coffee. No donuts."

They exchanged smiles and he led her to the destination.

"Well, here it is. If she seems angry or depressed it's probably because just she finished a stack of paperwork."

Vi's face paled when she heard the word "paperwork".

"Uhh...I...uhh... won't have to do that. Will I?"

Hardwell laughed and patted her on the shoulder.

"No, Rock Star. You won't. Caitlyn has it set up so she does most of it. The rest? Well, it trickles down to me. Relax. You're safe."

Vi let out a sigh of relief but felt guilty. She can't imagine how much time the Sheriff must waste doing something as tedious as paperwork.

Just as Steve was about to walk away he suddenly turned around.

"Hey kid?"

"Yeah?"

"Welcome to the force."

"Thanks!" She shouted to him as he start to walk off.

Replicating her action when first entering the build, Vi entered the Sheriff's office.

Caitlyn heard someone come in her office and looked up from her desk. She was glad to see that Vi had showed up.

"Ah, Vi! Hello! I've been waiting for your arrival." Caitlyn pleasantly greeted.

Nervously putting her hand behind her neck, Vi said "Yo." To this Caitlyn only gave her an amused smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Please, sit down. We've got a couple things to go over."

Vi didn't like taking orders from anyone, but she supposed it wasn't too bad coming from a voice like that. She took a seat in the chair in front of the desk.

"First off, I would like to make sure that this is something that you actually want to do. I don't want to force you into something like this. I want you to know that this can be hard work, and there are rules and regulations you must follow. I can't have you smashing your way through public property. So I have some papers for you to sign. They are stating you won't do that. It is a contract of sorts. Take all the time you need to read them."

Vi only took a moment to glance at the papers. Not wanting to think too much with her head, she thought with her heart. The soon-to-be Enforcer took the papers and pressed black ink to paper to create her signature.

Caitlyn thoughtfully read "the contract" after it had been given back to her.

"Excellent. Now let's discuss pay. W-"

"Wait?! I'm getting paid!" Vi interrupted the Sheriff.

Caitlyn looked at the other woman with empathy. She knew that Vi must have been getting by on scraps all this time. She also knew what that felt like. Maybe not in the same way Vi did, but she still understood the feeling of not knowing when you were going to eat next. When Caitlyn moved out, she was supposed to have access to a trust fund. Instead of taking all the money when she moved out, Caitlyn gave all the money to anyone who needed it. She knew what money could do to people and she didn't want to be a part of any of that. She didn't want to have everything handed to her on a silver platter. No. She wanted to make her own way and on her own terms.

Caitlyn thought about how Vi's life never had been easy from the get go. She tried to picture a young Vi out on the streets, fighting to survive and get by. It hurt Caitlyn's soul to think about how that was a reality for the pink haired woman.

"Yes, starting tomorrow you are officially on payroll." The Sheriff smiled at the woman sitting in the chair before her.

"I...I really don't know what to say." Vi seemed genuinely out of words.

Glancing down at her nervous hands, Vi looked up at Caitlyn with a solemn look in her eyes.

"Y'know, I'm sure you've read my files. I'm sure you know that I've been on the streets ever since I was a kid. "

Caitlyn nodded understandingly.

"I never really had a place to really call my own. I've never really had a legit job either. I've always stolen. So...uhh... I guess I just want to say thank you for giving me a chance to do this."

"You are more than welcome. I'm glad to have you working with me than sitting in a jail cell. You have too much potential for that anyways."

Vi couldn't stop a big smile from appearing on her face. In all her years of being in gangs, she was never told that she had potential. She was actually just expected to do things for them because they "took her in". Nobody even bothered praising her. It was good to hear Caitlyn say that about her.

She scratched the back of her head and lowly said, "Thank you."

Caitlyn smirked. "No problem. I'm sure that was taxing for you, so I am going to let you have the rest of the day off. Come back in tomorrow at 8 A.M. and we will begin the process of working you into the force."

"8 A.M. ? Why me?" Vi whined. She laid her head down in her hands and groaned.

The Sheriff chuckled. "Not all of us are up late every night chasing criminals then beating them senseless."

"Alright, you've got me there."

"For the second time, I believe?"

Vi narrowed her eyes. "Oh har har. Real funny. Count yourself lucky because that is the last time."

Caitlyn arched an eyebrow with a slight smirk. "Oh? Is that so?"

Both women find themselves surprised with how much they enjoyed interacting with each other. To some people they were pretty much opposites. Caitlyn was careful, meticulous and did everything by the books. Vi was reckless, brash and punched before asking questions. Yet somehow, it seemed like they almost complimented each other.

"Damn right it is!"

A couple of laughs were exchanged.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what you do, Officer. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, Sheriff. I'm looking forward to showing you how to really catch these street punks."

Just as she was going to saying something clever, Caitlyn remembered some things she had forgotten.

"Vi! Wait!"

The woman in question turned around and looked.

Reaching into her desk drawer, Caitlyn pulled out a gun and badge.

"I almost forgot. Here take these. Consider them the markings of being an official Piltover Police Officer."

Vi excitedly grabbed the items from Caitlyn. She looked at them with awe.

"Whoa! Bad ass!"

"Yes, yes. However, please be careful with them! Do not go waving these around. They are not toys and they are not to be abused. They mean something and should be treated with respect."

Vi understood the Sheriff's concerns. She wished that Caitlyn knew that she wouldn't fuck around with something so symbolic...but she can't really blame her for thinking that she would. Vi knew that she hasn't exactly put out the best reputation for herself.

"Yeah, I know. C'mon have a little faith in me." She pleaded.

"Okay! I was just checking. Just so you know, I give that little rant to all of my new officers. I've had some in the past think that because they have the gun or the badge, that they are above the law and are better than the people they swore to protect. That is not the case. So please don't feel singled out. Okay. Now you are dismissed."

The new Enforcer looked at her Sheriff with understanding. She knew how important it was to Caitlyn that the city of Piltover felt safe with their protection. She also knew that if any officer fucked up it would fall back negatively on Caitlyn. She never wanted to do that her.

Vi raised her hand to head and saluted Caitlyn. "Aye, aye!"

The Sheriff shook her head and smiled. She watched Vi exit her office with a feeling of satisfaction. For the first time in a while, she felt good about the future.

Vi left the station feeling happier than she had in a while. This was going to be good and she was finally going to have her break. Looking back on her life, she knew that her life as a criminal was both a gift and a curse. On one hand she learned some invaluable skills, and on the other she had done some things that really bothered her. She hated robbing from people who were defenseless. But she did it. She did it because the gang would toss her out on her ass if she didn't, and she needed the gang to get by. She often thought about how disappointed her parents would be in her. So now was her chance to make herself and her parents proud. Maybe she even wanted to make Caitlyn proud.


	3. Hear You Me

It was decided that the new "Enforcer" would work with the Sheriff as her partner. After cracking their first case together, the duo decided that they had an interesting synergy. Caitlyn had great tactical strength and Vi had well... brute force. The Sheriff would set them all up just to watch the Enforcer knock them down. Sure, they had their scuffles over plans but Vi always decided Caitlyn knew what she was doing; she respected her. Caitlyn appreciated that show of faith and trust; it didn't go unnoticed. She came to the conclusion that Vi had a lovable charm about her. Some people would paint her as a "ruthless criminal", but Caitlyn knew Vi was more complex than that. She always played the role of silent observer and there was no exception with Vi. Caitlyn never pried her for information about her past, but she took in every detail when Vi opened up about it. She noted the way her mouth trembled with regret when she spoke about past crimes. She focused on diamond blue eyes shattering with subtle pain. She honed in on sharp intakes of breath, and her crackling voice explaining how she survived. She felt the weight from long exhalations. Vi's strong, slightly bruised hands were on each other to hold back some of the emotion. Caitlyn shocked herself when she thought of holding them until they would stop shaking.

It didn't take long for Vi to win over the force. Caitlyn could inspire her officers, but Vi had a way of boosting morale. She would take the time to sit down with them. She would listen to their stories, tell jokes, and have laughs with them. Hardwell seem to take to her the most. Sometimes when Vi was training, he would sneak up and give her a playful noogie. Vi would protest but end up getting him back. Off in the distance, Caitlyn could be seen smirking.

The Sheriff knew that bringing Vi in was one of the best decisions she made while she was in charge. To state the obvious, criminals were afraid to commit crimes. Before, it was nerve-wracking with someone with a sharp mind and even sharper shot watching over the city. But, a tornado with fists paired up with someone like the Sheriff? Not many were stupid enough to mug or rob anyone or anything. On a more personal note, Caitlyn had become somewhat...attached... to Vi. She knew it could be disastrous getting close to Vi, but she found herself not being able to stop it. The girl with pink hair and a shaved side cut's smile was worth more than anything Caitlyn could have.

"You're smitten."

A voice shook her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Hardwell grinning.

"What are you talking about?"

He nodded his head towards Vi, who was "training" with some poor punching bag, and kept grinning knowingly.

"Rockstar. You liiiiiiike her."

She was caught completely off guard. She struggled to formulate a sentence.

"N-no! How absurd of you to suggest! I-"

Caitlyn was cut off by the hearty chuckle of the man. She sighed and cupped her face in her hand.

"How obvious am I?"

"Depends. You're good at covering it up, kid, but you gotta remember this old guy is a detective. No scratch that. Veteran detective. Plus I know you. I've never seen you look at anyone that way."

She sighed once again.

"Well, shit." Her accent accentuating and sharpening the "t".

Hardwell put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"You know what I say, Cait? Go for it!"

She looked at him like he insane.

"What in the hell are you talking about? You know I can't do that! It wouldn't be right! I am her superior and The Sheriff Of Piltover!"

"Fuck all that! I've had to watch you be all broody for so long. You've always put the city before yourself, and I know you hate to bring your folks up...but they stole a lot of your happiness from you. I think it's time for you to be goddamn happy. Plus, I like Rockstar. She's got a heart of gold underneath that tough act."

Caitlyn was startled by the air of seriousness emitting from the man. Hardwell had been her only family since her mother and father disowned her for abandoning the life they blueprinted for her. He had been her real father all these years, and when he was like this it always had a profound affect on her.

"Maybe you're right."

He smiled and lightly punched her.

"Of course I am. I'm old."

She leaned back in her chair, narrowed her eyes at him, and shook her head in disapproval. He stood up and patted her on the head before leaving the room.

Vi had been silently watching the exchange from across the room.

"Looks like something serious." She thought curiously. "Maybe about her parents?" From the few exchanges she and Caitlyn had had about the Sheriff's parents, Vi gathered that her and them weren't on good terms. "They had a plan for her and she threw it all away." Vi thought she should be mad at Caitlyn for throwing away something Vi could never have. A nice home, parents, financial security, and stability. But, yet, she couldn't help but find herself more drawn towards her. Not many people would do what she did, and she's not even sure she could have. She wonders what Caitlyn would have become if she and Caitlyn had switched places.

She wipes the sweat off her face, grabs her towel, and makes her way towards her spectator. Hearing footsteps, Caitlyn looked up.

"Good work out?"

Vi smirks.

"They always are."

Caitlyn's lips had a trace of mischief.

"Oh, yes, of course. How could I forget?"

The Enforcer chuckled and began the process of taking her boxing gloves off. Vi began to wonder why Caitlyn had been watching her. After a few moments of wondering if she had broken some code, she remembered that the Sheriff had offered to help her find an apartment.

"Oh fuck! I am sorry! I almost forgot about our damn apartment hunting we were supposed to do today! Let me clean up and I'll be ready."

Caitlyn shot her a warm smile, and said with a reassuring tone, "Don't worry. No need to rush. Besides I've got a good book." She took that opportunity to be flashy and make her book fly open.

"Nerd!" Vi said while chuckling.

Caitlyn shot her a fake angry look and began to read her book.

Not too long after, the duo were ready to leave. The Enforcer opened the door and try to subtly hold it open for her partner. Caitlyn slyly grinned at this. Upon exhaling, both women saw their breath in the air. It was a crisp December day. Gripping her jacket, Vi brought it closer to her body. Vi knew she needed to find a new place to live, because where she calls home right now has little to no insulation. She had no interest in freezing to death.

"Alright, do you have a list of addresses you'd like to investigate?"

Vi raised her brows and asked, "Is everything an investigation to you?"

The Sheriff laughed in response.

"Only the things I don't know."

Hours passed and none of the places they looked at appealed to Vi. Even with her new income from the force, she couldn't afford a lot of them. The rest that she could either seemed seedy or weren't to her liking. When it seemed the pink hair woman was tired, Caitlyn suggested that they stop and get some coffee. After their order was called out, she went up and retrieved their drinks.

Setting the cups on the table, she sat down, and remarked, "If only they had tea."

"I thought all you drank was coffee?!"

Vi looked baffled. Caitlyn smirked and chuckled lowly.

"Coffee for work, and tea for when I'm off duty."

"That answers one of my biggest life questions!"

Returning Vi's warm smile, Caitlyn tipped her hat.

"Glad to have been of assistance, then."

Vi couldn't believe this playful side of the Sheriff. She wondered how often it actually showed and who all had seen it. She had taken a liking to Caitlyn's brand of humor; it was smart and kind of nerdy. A huge contrast to her old gang's crude jokes.

"Thanks for coming along with me. Sorry it was a waste of time."

"It's no problem, Vi, but you aren't going to consider any of the houses?"

"Nope. None of them fit for me. Too much green or... just not for me."

Caitlyn looked at Vi with hesitation. She had an idea, but she wasn't sure it would be appropriate.

"Okay. You're doing that thing."

Eyebrows raised.

"What thing?"

"That thing with your face. The thinking thing."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So spit it out."

"Well, I have an idea to solve the problem about your housing situation."

"Awesome. What is it?"

Caitlyn breathed in. She was really going to suggest this.

"I have a spare bedroom in my house, and there isn't anybody that uses it. Perhaps you could live with me? For now."

She looked down at her hands and waited for Vi's reaction. The latter woman didn't know what to say to the offer. It would solve her problem but should she? She didn't want to intrude on Caitlyn's living space, but she was the one to offer in the first place. Would it be weird? Though, all of that doesn't matter because she didn't have much of a choice.

"Like me that much do you? Want to settle down with a family together?"

Caitlyn's face froze with fear. Then she managed to stammer out, "N-no! No, that's not what I meant to imply!"

She wasn't sure how she didn't burst out in laughter, but Vi decided to put an end to the embarrassment. Who knew the Sheriff could come unraveled so easily after some mild flirting? Caitlyn cursed herself for losing her composure. She hated for that to happen, and it seemed that Vi could make her lose it often.

"Relax, Sheriff. I was just messing around with you. It sounds like a deal to me."


	4. Cat's in the Cradle

Caitlyn was going to hire some professionals to help move Vi's things, but after hearing protest from Vi she decided against it. After watching the other woman lift box after box, she decided she would trust her decision. Plus she kinda liked watching the punk's biceps tense when she lifted something especially heavy. She had to remember to ask Vi what kind of arm workouts she did.

The week after Vi had settled into her new nest, she rose from her bed to sit out on the balcony. She lit a cigarette and watched the Piltover morning hustle. She pressed it to her lips, took a drag, and listened to the cars flow in traffic. This was her new routine, she liked it.

Not long after, she looked through the sliding doors to see Caitlyn making her coffee. Soon the sheriff made her way to the balcony. Trying not to spill her fresh cup of coffee, Caitlyn opened the door to the balcony, closed it, and sat down across from Vi. They'd sit and talk before work or on weekend mornings. Caitlyn would always watch the cloud of smoke leave Vi's lips, and Vi would watch the steam rise from Cait's nerdy Star Wars mug. This was their new routine, they liked it.

Today was Monday, and apparently Hardwell had some bad news of a new criminal on the rise in Piltover. Bad enough they had to have a debriefing on her. The sheriff couldn't help but examine the troubled look on her partner's face. She decided she would have to talk to her about it when they got home.

Before Vi could go to the kitchen for her usual afterwork meal, Caitlyn grabbed her by the hand.

The pink haired woman looked at her with her eyebrow raised, "Not that I don't mind you randomly groping me, but can you tell me what's up, Cait?"

Rolling her eyes and exhaling she said, "Earlier today when we were getting a profile on our new graffiti artist, you seemed...upset. For example, you weren't eager to go "bust their ass" like you usually are. Care to explain?"

Vi dropped the grin from her face and her eyes darted away from Caitlyn. She sighed deeply.

Caitlyn's voice dropped to an almost whisper, "Vi?".

Looking up with hesitation she decided she would divulge a secret that hounded her for so long.

"When I left my old life behind, I left someone else behind. I told...I begged her to wait until I found a real job. Then I could get her out of that shit hole."

The sheriff looked at the enforcer's clenched fist with concern. She averted her gaze back to Vi, and she swore she could see tears begin to form in her eyes. She slowly walked closer to her. "Vi, what are you talking about? Do you know that girl?"

Taking in a breath, "Yeah, you could say that. She, uh, she's my sister." Vi watched the other woman's expression as she exhaled. She knew she would be surprised and she was. She let her have a moment to process it, before proceeding with words of frustration. "I promised. Cait, I fucking promised her I would save her!" She slammed her fist against the counter; welcoming the sting.

Caitlyn thought for a minute. "She would never leave her high and dry. That's not like her. Should I ask what happened?" She let some time pass, before softly touching Vi's shoulder. Their eyes met for what seemed forever. Caitlyn swallowed her apprehension and softly said, "What happened? Did you go back?"

Appreciating the warmth of the sheriff's hands on her shoulders, Vi sighed yet again and nodded. "I, I went back and she was gone. I asked around and everyone said she just vanished out of nowhere. For the longest time, I had thought she died. I spent months looking for her and found nothing. So, I was a fucking coward and ran again."

Caitlyn wasn't having that. She shook her head, "You couldn't have known she was going to do that. Vi, despite what you think, you are a good and loyal person. You wouldn't have wanted that fate for her. Something must have happened to make her do that."

"Well, maybe I'll get my answers. I don't think will be ones that I like. I'm worried because she's not how I remember her. I can't imagine her doing everything that she's done. Now, that? That's my fault. I left her to those gangs and they fucked with her head. She's fucking pissed at me, I know that. That's why she's here. She's trying to get my attention."

Vi sunk to the kitchen floor and put her hands in her head. Her voice muffled in her hands, she quietly and morosely spoke, "I fucked up. All I do is fuck things up for myself and everyone around me." Caitlyn could almost hear the tears in her voice. She sat down next to her, and this time she without thought held her close.

"That's not true. That's not true at all. You know that's bullshit!" She was so tired of sitting by as Vi hated herself.

Feeling shock not only from Caitlyn's words but her actions, Vi rose her head and gazed at her. Caitlyn smiled and continued, "It takes a truly good person seeking redemption to do what you have done. When I listen to you, I hear a woman who wants nothing more than to make things right. How is this any different? I know you don't believe so, but we will get through to her. That's my promise."

Vi sat in the other woman's arms and let her words sink into her mind. She found comfort and warmth not only from the body beside her, but from what she was saying. Another moment passed. The punk shifted a bit closer, and looked at the woman next to her. "Thank you, Caitlyn."

The sheriff grinned, "Of course."

They stayed like that for a while.


End file.
